In numerous fields of application, it is desirable to brake the fall of a load.
For example, when dropping heavy loads from aircraft, it is necessary to brake the fall of a load strongly in order to ensure that it is brought to the ground under good conditions.
The same also applies to loads released from launchers, e.g. to generate prolonged lighting effects.
Numerous devices that are based on parachutes have already been proposed for this purpose.
Unfortunately, known devices of this type do not always give satisfaction. They are not always capable of applying sufficient braking for the loads concerned.
Typically, a parachute-based braking device makes it possible to obtain a sinking speed of about 3 meters per second (m/s) to 4 m/s, whereas it is often necessary to achieve sinking speeds of no more than 1 m/s to 2 m/s.
Solutions which associate parachutes with retrorockets have also been proposed. However, they turn out to be rather complex.
Numerous braking devices have also been proposed that are based on rotating blades. On this topic, reference can be made, for example, to the following documents: AU-A-85954/91, DE-A-32 21 453, EP-A-176 046, AU-A-131 368, U.S. Pat. No. 2,440,292, U.S. Pat. No. 2,044,819, AU-A-30167/92, EP-A-76990, FR-A-2 375 491, EP-A-424 337, EP-A-587 970, U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,422, U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,203, and AU-A-32482/89.
In general, those devices are nevertheless complex and bulky.
Other solutions are described in the following documents: AU-A-126869, U.S. Pat. No. 2,523,276, U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,637, FR-A-2 240 147, FR-A-2 722 471, EP-A-622 604, FR-A-2 595 809, FR-A-2 707 248, FR-A-2 679 643, and FR-A-2 679 642.